Grooming
by littlev123
Summary: A battle leaves Blake's hair in a complete mess. A certain monkey faunus swoops in to help. Sun/Blake. Oneshot.


**Author's Note: I have to admit that I'm rather surprised at the small amount of fanfiction for Sun/Blake. I loved their dynamic in the show, despite how briefly it was shown. I wasn't sure what to write about at first, but then I remembered that monkeys groom each other to show affection, and then this fluffy fic happened. I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Settling down onto a fairly high, sturdy tree branch, Blake gazed out toward the camp a short distance away. From her perch she could easily make out the splotches of color that made up the other members of team RWBY, JNPR, and SSSN. Some sat upright and shifted, probably talking amongst themselves, while a few had already curled up near the campfire to sleep.<p>

Having so many people for one mission was unusual, but apparently the professors had insisted on it due to the large number of strong enemies in the area. Earlier that day the group had come across several and, while they had managed to successfully defeat them, it had taken more effort than expected. Clearly the precaution had not been unwarranted.

Blake's amber eyes nearly glowed in the dark, her faunus sight able to pick up details in the night that no human could hope to see. After a thorough glance around at the surrounding trees she found nothing to be amiss and relaxed, starting to lean back against the tree.

Several sharp pokes to her neck and back immediately stopped her. Sighing, she reached behind her to pull her long hair forward in order to examine it. As she suspected, leaves and twigs were hopelessly tangled within the thick locks.

She scowled in distaste. During the end of the battle earlier she had been harshly flung into a few trees. The experience hadn't injured her, but it had earned her the matted mess stuck to her head.

Beneath her slightly crooked bow her ears caught the sound of foliage rustling. Releasing her mane, she turned her attention to the grinning faunus as he lowered himself in front of her. The end of his tail gripped an overhead branch, allowing him to hang upside down with ease.

"Hey Blake. What're you doing up here?" Sun asked.

"Keeping watch." She quietly answered. Technically, she was, even if she hadn't been assigned to do so.

"Oh, gotcha. I guess it is a lot easier to see everything from here." He commented, glancing behind him.

She nodded. "The better question is why you're here." Unlike Blake, who tended to keep to herself even among friends, Sun had no problem socializing with anyone and everyone.

"I wanted to save you the embarrassment of calling a fireman if you got stuck." He cheekily responded.

"Hilarious." She drawled, sarcasm practically dripping off the syllables. As she watched him sway slightly, an idea popped into her mind. A mischievous glint suddenly gleamed in her eyes, leaving Sun decidedly unsettled.

"Do you want to know what else is funny?" She questioned, standing.

He watched her uncertainly. "Uh, sure…?"

Her fingers wrapped around the tree branch he hung from. His eyes widened in realization a second too late.

"This."

With a flick of her wrist she snapped the limb in half. Tail clinging uselessly to the decapitated wood, Sun let out an undignified yelp as he found himself suddenly plummeting. Only his quick reflexes saved him; his hand swiftly reached out and grasped onto the branch she stood on, abruptly stopping his descent. Sun looked down at the long drop below him and let out a sigh of relief.

"Do I need to call a fireman for you?" Blake teased. Sun shifted his gaze upward to see her pleased smirk.

Sun let out an amused laugh. "Okay, I gotta admit, that was pretty good. Not many people can catch me off guard like that."

"Then I guess that makes me special." She commented. Crouching down, she reached out her hand to him. His grin widened; they both knew that he could easily swing himself back up. By offering to help him she was practically admitting her fondness, although he wisely knew not to point it out.

Instead he grabbed her hand and winked. "You've always been special to me."

Blake's cheeks flared pink. Huffing, she glanced away and pulled him up with a little more force than was absolutely necessary. As Sun balanced himself on the limb he inwardly praised himself for such a suave line.

When she released his hand he noticed what appeared to be a twig sticking out behind her. He reached around and plucked it from her hair. Shifting slightly from where he stood on the branch, he managed to glimpse her tangled mane.

Sun whistled and chucked the twig in his hand away. "Those trees really got you good."

"Yeah, I know. I need to clean up." She agreed with no small amount of distaste.

"I can help you. It'll be hard for you to get it all out on your own." He offered.

"Well…I suppose that's true." Blake admitted.

Sun stepped back and then sat down against the tree. Legs on either side of the branch, he patted the space in between. "Let's get started then."

She hesitated, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You're not planning something, are you?"

"I've already almost fallen once." He pointed out. "I think I've learned my lesson for now."

"I highly doubt that." She mumbled. Even so, she carefully moved back, turned around, and sat down in front of him. His gaze roved over her disheveled hair, trying to decide on where to start.

"Mind if I take this off?" He asked, fingers brushing against the crooked bow covering her ears.

"…go ahead." No one would be able to see her ears from this far away, much less in the darkness. Despite knowing that, she nearly flinched at the cold air that brushed against them once the cloth was removed.

After handing her the fabric, which she gratefully accepted, he set to work. His nimble fingers carefully disentangled twigs and plucked out leaves from wavy strands of hair. At first Blake remained tense, both from his proximity and the expectation of having her hair yanked. To her pleasant surprise, she felt little more than gentle tugging as he removed particularly clingy pieces of debris.

"Your hair is so long." He remarked, pulling free another tiny stick before tossing it away. "Does it ever get in the way during a fight?"

"No. If an enemy gets close enough to touch it then I have a lot more things to worry about. And don't you dare suggest I get it cut." She added without skipping a beat. Although her tone was calm, the firmness with which she stated it made her resolution clear.

Sun paused, raising one hand in the air as if in surrender. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to. Although I bet you'd look beautiful with short hair too."

Heat rushed to her face. Embarrassed, she impatiently nudged her head against his hand. "Shut up and keep going."

"Yes ma'am." He complied, grinning. A peaceful quiet soon overcame them. Blake closed her eyes, muscles relaxing at the oddly soothing feel of attentive digits carding through her black hair. Eventually she vaguely began to realize that Sun was no longer pausing to pick out debris; his fingers were threading through smoothly. She let out a contented sigh, although it came out with a strange gentle rumble from her throat.

Hearing Sun release a breath of amusement, she quickly opened her eyes and spoke up. "Say one word about that being a purr and I _will_ push you off."

"You said it, not me." He countered, but decided to not ruin the mood by pressing the matter. He then reluctantly pulled his hands away and sat back. "Well, I'm done. You're looking good, just like always."

She caught the way his tone dimmed just the slightest; he was unsure if that meant she wanted him to leave now or not. When she thought about it, she found that she wasn't quite ready to give up his comforting presence yet either.

"…I'm not ready to join the others just yet. Would you like to stay up here with me?" She asked.

Blake could practically sense the beaming smile growing on Sun's face behind her. It caused her own mouth to curve upward in a small smile of her own.

"Of course." He declared. After a few moments he reached forward, arms hovering over her waist as if asking permission. Blake leaned back against his chest, allowing both her and him to indulge in the other's warmth.

As his arms settled around her, caring and secure, she contentedly closed her eyes once more. All worries and concerns melted away, leaving only one distinct thought; she wouldn't mind doing this more often.


End file.
